The Other Woman
by little-borgia
Summary: Shay's arrival has Delphine losing touch with who she is. How far is she willing to take things?
1. Chapter 1

Delphine felt it when she woke up. An emptiness she couldn't quite place. It was like she knew she was forgetting something, only it felt more personal. She flipped through her day planner, obsessively trying to find the culprit.

Things hadn't been easy for her since she had broken up with Cosima. Selfishly, a part of her had hoped Cosima would see her true intentions. She had hoped Cosima would refuse to leave her side, clinging to her the way a toddler did at daycare. At the very least, she hoped reminding Cosima of the promise would prove that she was still putting Cosima first.

And as she watched Cosima strut down the hallway of Dyad while smiling at her text, Delphine understood why she felt that sinking feeling the minute she woke up.

She had been replaced.

She continued watching, hot tears of anger filling Delphine's eyes as she watched Cosima begin typing only to stop in the hallway, thinking before going back to typing. Cosima looked so happy that Delphine could feel the pile rising in her throat. Suddenly, it wasn't sadness that she felt. It was rage.

What more could she have done? Where had she gone wrong? Didn't Cosima see how she loved her? Didn't Cosima notice the things she did?

Delphine was the one who gave the approval for Scott to work with Cosima. Delphine had been ruthless but passionate in finding cures for was Delphine who had taken the heat for all Sarah and Cosima's schemes. Hell, it was Delphine who had to endure Aldous' hands all over her body just to get close to such a scientific goldmine. If he had any suspicions that they'd fall in love, she never would have been allowed to so much as look at Cosima.

She wanted to hate Cosima. She wanted to harden her heart and be as heartless as other monitors, faking affection and lying relentlessly. She wanted to be cold like Rachel and view Cosima as 324b21 instead of a person. But she couldn't.

She couldn't hate Cosima. She couldn't even be mad. Underneath it all, she loved her. She'd loved her since their initial meeting. She hadn't understood until Cosima kissed her. She was naive enough to tell herself that it was intrigue over a clone, but that kiss changed everything.

And no matter how cruel Cosima acted, no matter what she said, Delphine always looked at her and saw the girl who looked so small on the couch as she glanced up, teary eyed to tell Delphine that she was sick.

She took a deep exhale, wondering if Cosima realizes that she had confided to Delphine she was sick before the others. She had trusted her once. She had chosen Delphine to share her secret with.

She grabbed the glass of whiskey, her eyes darkening as she turned her chair, glancing out the window, brooding. Delphine had never been one to be outdone on any level.

"This is Dr. Cormier, I need the internet history for subject 324b21 and I need it now," she demanded before hanging up the phone.

Within minutes, she was biting her lip, onto Cosima's trail. A dating website and a few vague emails back and forth between Cosima and Shay. Delphine narrowed her gaze, noticing Cosima hadn't logged into her account in days. Shay on the other hand, had been active a few hours ago.

She let out a sarcastic puff of a laugh. This girl Cosima is taken with didn't appear to be as taken. She knew it was too easy to be caught if she created a profile. Cosima could get Scott to hack into such an unsecured website in his sleep. And if Cosima knew what Delphine was up to, she'd never forgive her. No, this couldn't have a trail. Not a trace of what was to come. She buzzed for her assistant.

"I need everything you have on Shay Davydov," she growled. "And I want to know everything about each and every one of her ex girlfriends, Cosima Neihaus included."

"Stealing your exes girl? That's cold blooded," the assistant smiled.

"If she wants to play games, I'll play games," Delphine said, her tone hushed.


	2. Chapter 2

Delphine studied the information, jotting down notes. In her extensive research on Shay, she found a pattern. Shay preferred girls who tugged on her heart strings.

Delphine sat back in her chair, taking a sip of the whiskey. _Pauvre petit chiot_ , she thought. It's no wonder that Shay immediately was intrigued by Cosima. Aside from being breathtakingly beautiful and mindblowingly intelligent, Cosima had a vulnerability that was undeniable.

 _In Felix's hallway, Delphine had hoped Cosima would understand. Secretly, she hoped Cosima would stop her, refuse to break up._

 _"I love you," Cosima had whimpered, her lip quivering and her eyes filling with tears. She didn't look like a grown woman, she looked like a sick little girl and Delphine knew that to Cosima, their love was her cure._

 _Delphine had said nothing, unable to speak. How could she? There was no accurate response. Cosima was so lost in her own heartache that she didn't even notice the way Delphine had to struggle to keep it all together. Did Cosima see her, really see her? Had she ever really seen Delphine_?

Delphine slammed the glass down. For a woman who loved sob stories, Cosima's bitter breakup was like a made for TV movie. Delphine had practically pushed Cosima into Shay's arms. She ran a hand through her hair, yanking at the straightened strands as rage boiled over her. This was her fault. Shay was her doing. And now, it was her problem to fix.

She grabbed her keys and her purse. She needed to head back to her apartment first. This power suit was not going to get the job done.

At the bar, she sat, glancing down into her half empty glass of bourbon. She wasn't normally a fan of bourbon, but she felt everything needed to be different. She didn't want Shay to catch a single trace of Delphine underneath it all. She didn't want Shay to know a single truth about her. It all had to be fake. It was the only way Delphine could get through this.

She had changed it up, opting for a retro skirt that was long enough to keep her modest but feminine enough. She had a boatneck sweater, a creamy ivory color and a style that showed off her collarbones and the sensitive skin that covered it. It reminded her of all the times Cosima had kissed and sucked the skin, a spot that Delphine had never been kissed before. The result was more arousing that she understood. The memory was so vivid that Delphine absentmindedly craned her neck the way she always had for Cosima, letting the kisses travel to her neck.

"Why the long face?" The bartender asked.

"A beautiful woman broke my heart," she scoffed with a nervous laugh.

"If I had a dollar," Shay said, startling Delphine. "Give her another. On me."

"Oh, you're very kind," Delphine said, her voice different as she hid her accent.

"I'm Shay," she said softly.

"Sophie," she whispered, taking the name of one of her favorite French actresses. "I don't normally drink so much," she said softly.

"You don't normally get your heart broken, I'll bet."

Delphine smiled, but she could feel the rage burning through her veins. Shay had it all, she had Cosima and she was flirting at a bar. She couldn't be the lowlife that Delphine had imagined her to be and yet she was falling into this trap. As angry as she was, her heart broke for Cosima. She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve to even think for a second that anyone was searching for someone better to her than love. The thought filled Delphine's eyes with tears.

"I'm sorry. What an ass thing to say. You poor little puppy," she whispered.

"What did you say?" The words got Delphine's attention.

"Just some phrase a girl, a friend says. If she's sick she'll call herself a poor little puppy."

"Your ... friend," she choked the word out. "She is... very sick?" She tried to play it casual.

"No, no. Just coughing fits. She thinks it's worse than it is. You know the type," she rolled her eyes playfully.

"Of course," Delphine managed.

"You want to talk about her?" She asked. "It helps my friend."

"Your friend talks about her ex? To you?"

"Yeah, I mean not much. Some smart French doctor who had never been with a girl before. She thought it was love at first sight until she got dumped the day her ex came back from a business trip. Guess she didn't miss her as much, you know?"

The words knocked the wind out of Delphine and the tears spilled before she realized. Had that been what Cosima told her? What Cosima thought? That Delphine went to Frankfurt and never thought of her? Never missed her? Didn't she know Delphine at all.

"Oh, hey, don't cry," Shay blurted.

"No, no. It's just ... after all this time, my ex didn't know a thing about me," she sobbed. "A simple miscommunication, I thought. But it's becoming clearer that we were never as intimate as I thought."

"Sex and intimacy are two very different things," she agreed.

Delphine hated herself for breaking the promise she made to herself. She wanted it all to be fake and yet the truth came slipping out. No matter who she pretended to be, Delphine couldn't keep Cosima from slipping into her. She was a piece of her and Delphine didn't know if she could ever shut Cosima out completely. She didn't know if she wanted to.

"You know how to get over someone?" Shay asked.

"Please, tell me." Delphine pleaded.

"Kiss someone else. Think of it, you're kissing someone new. You're feeling that person's last kiss..."

 _Cosima_ , she thought. Her last kiss was Cosima. Delphine kissed Shay, pressing her lips desperately against hers, trying to steal every last trace of Cosima. However illogical, she hoped to have the taste of Cosima, even the slightest trace of it.

All she tasted was the strawberry flavored kiss of Shay. She knew Cosima didn't even prefer strawberry lip balm, she wanted something more unique. Shay wasn't unique enough for Cosima. But was Delphine? Had Delphine ever been enough for Cosima?

"I'm sorry. You aren't her," Delphine blurted. "I have to go..."

"Sophie..." Shay called, but Delphine was too distracted to remember the fake name.

She rushed out the door, slipping into the darkened alley just in time to burst into tears. Who was she becoming? What had she done? She had just ruined Cosima's reaction. Shay wasn't faithful, and Delphine had caused that.

She imagined Cosima's reaction. The way the tears stayed in her eyes, obvious even behind her glasses. The way her lip quivered as if her body rejected a truth she wasn't yet able to accept.

She couldn't tell Cosima. She couldn't break her heart. Not again.


	3. Chapter 3

Delphine stared at the papers, her temper boiling. She felt the heat running through her body. Shay wasn't who she said she was. Her background checks had nothing but red flags. Delphine was angry with no one to direct it to, so she directed it to everyone. She was angry at Shay, for betraying Cosima twice. First the bar and now this, it was unacceptable. She was angry at Cosima. Angry that the brunette was so eager to find another lover that she ignored every red flag. She knew she needed to keep certain things safe and she'd overlooked all of that for some stupid, perky blonde. Was she that shallow? Had she done the same when she met Delphine?

She grabbed her phone, needing to call Cosima. She needed to hear her voice. She needed to tell her to be careful, to be alert. She needed to keep her safe, to keep the promise she had once made to protect her. As Cosima's name popped up on the screen, tears rimmed Delphine's eyes.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't be the one to give Cosima the information. She was so stubborn and would never hear Delphine out. Ever since the breakup, Cosima stared at her like she was nothing. Delphine could never fathom making Cosima feel that insignificant.

Instead, she knew what Cosima's weakness was. Delphine cocked her head, cracking her neck without lifting a hand. She knew what she was doing was predatory, but with Cosima there was always a fine line between predator and protector.

"She didn't say she was sick..." Scott mumbled. He had always been a little uncomfortable around Delphine, but the breakup had made it even more awkward. She was his boss and he had to be polite and professional. But still, Delphine had broken Cosima's spirit when they broke up and he couldn't easily forget that.

"But she's missing work and her numbers are worrying," Delphine pushed again. She slid the papers against the counter until they were in front of him.

"Cosima-" Scott began to make excuses.

"Cosima would rather take a turn for the worst than turn to me. I get that. I'm not going to let her die because she's stubborn. Do you remember when she had a seizure?"

"Of course."

"When her body convulsed and I had her blood all over my hands and my clothes. Is that what you want for her, Scott?"

He glanced down, looking like a puppy who'd gotten in trouble. She almost felt guilty about it. Almost.

"She's with Shay."

"Fantastic. I'll go get the sample." She smiled falsely as she strutted out of the room.

In her car, she tapped the steering wheel nervously. She was risking it all by going to Shay's house. Not only was it unprofessional, it crossed so many boundaries as an ex-lover. Still, a part of her was grateful. She hadn't been honest with Shay about who she was. Now, Shay would see that Delphine was not someone to fuck with.

When Shay answered the door, Delphine couldn't control her curiousity as she gazed past the blonde.

"Hi. I'm looking for Cosima," she whispered, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"Delphine." Shay offered a coy smile, suddenly realizing what had happened.

"Hello, Shay," she smiled, loving the wave of discomfort that hit Shay. She knew this rebound girl was expecting Delphine to exploit what happened in the bar. She was tempted to. How easy it would be to tell Cosima that Shay wasn't loyal and wasn't worth her time.

"Cosima, could you come out here for a minute?" Shay called.

Delphine arched her head, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cosima. Were they having sex? Was Cosima hiding in the bathroom the way she did when she was sick?

"You know, whatever this is, it's really not cool." Shay called. One final plea to keep quiet about their kiss.

"You know what, I don't really care," Delphine whispered, pushing past Shay the minute she saw Cosima. It was magnetic, the way her body pushed forward, eager to be close to Cosima.

By the time Delphine made it back to her car, the sobs were slipping out uncontrollably. She knew Cosima would be cold, but she hadn't been prepared for the way it cut her to her core.

Delphine faked the urgency of a sample, but Cosima saw right through the ploy. She knew that the brunette would understand immediately. Still, Delphine kept her mouth shut. She couldn't bring herself to utter the words. She couldn't break her heart twice.

She let her forehead fall against the steering wheel, the horn blaring in the parking garage as the tears came freely. She had been so close to Cosima and unable to touch her or even have Cosima really see her. For the first time, Cosima felt unattainable.


	4. Chapter 4

Delphine watched from the safety of tinted windows. The yoga studio had a large glass wall that gave a glimpse into the classes. She immediately hated every one of those women. The had perfect figures as they stretched and bent, fully aware that they were on display. Their outfits were perfect. Their hair was perfect. And they all followed her.

Shay lead the course, smiling widely as her eyes glazed over each of the women, checking them out under the false pretense of yoga. Despite the small crowd of women, Shay's attention always returned to the slender redhead. So much so that Shay called her to the front, standing behind her as the redhead stretched. Shay used the woman to demonstrate a move to the class, letting her hands run along this woman's body.

Delphine's stomach turned. Shay had Cosima and it still wasn't enough. Delphine couldn't imagine ever wanting anyone else, even now. She would never be satisfied with another love and yet Shay had no appreciation for what she had. She knew what she needed to do.

"Do you understand what I am saying to you?" Delphine asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I know what you're asking-" the redhead started.

"-And we've discussed payment, Nina..."

"I don't know how," Nina stammered, trying to hide her nerves by pulling the high ponytail out, letting the red strands fall into place.

"Let her see you heartbroken. Fake a breakup. It's effective on girls," Delphine said, biting her lip to prevent from smoking. It was ironic how she fooled both Cosima and Shay with the same ploy.

"But why?" Nina asked, her tone shaky.

"It's simple. She's cheating on my ex. My ex deserves better. And I'm going to make her see..."

"You're going to break her heart, Miss...?" Nina searched for her name.

"My name is unimportant. And I'm going to make her see before she gets too ahead of herself."

"Are you still in love with your ex?"

"Yes." Delphine answered immediately.

"I'll do it," Nina smiled.

It was so easy that Nina almost felt sorry for Shay's mysterious girlfriend. She must be gorgeous, she thought. Both Shay and Delphine were beautiful women and Nina was curious what this other girl looked like.

"Hey, Nina right?" Shay asked when she saw the redhead at the bar. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm single. Again."

"Men are jerks," Shay shook her head.

"What about women?" Nina asked softly.

"They make far superior lovers," Shay purred. She motioned to the bartender to refill Nina's glass as she slid into the barstool next to the redhead.

"What about rebounds?" Nina whispered.

"Bartender, make hers a double..." Shay winked, her hand brushing over Nina's.

"Bartender, make it to go," Nina corrected, grabbing her purse.

Cosima hated leaving early, but an inventory of the lab had blocked her from doing anything. But, she grabbed Thai, excited to at least surprise Shay with lunch.

The minute she opened the door, her eyes went right to Shay's bed in the corner. Shay's hands were clinging to the hips of a redhead who had her head tossed back in ecstasy. The redhead was moaning as Shay's face was hidden between the toned thighs. Cosima had been so quiet that they didn't even notice; they didn't even stop. It wasn't until Cosima dropped the plastic bag filled with Thai that the two women jumped.

"Cosima!" Shay yelled, but Cosima was already gone. She raced to the only place that crossed her mind.

"Cosima!" Delphine whispered when she opened the door. "Is everything okay?"

"No." Cosima whispered, her hand on her forehead.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Delphine asked softly, her eyes moving up and down the brunettes form.

Instead of answering, Cosima grabbed Delphine's face, her tongue pushing inside Delphine's mouth before Delphine even realized what was happening. Cosima took control, pushing Delphine backwards until they were inside Delphine's apartment. Still, their lips never left one another.


End file.
